DAVIE, Fla. — Miami Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker distanced himself from comments made by his agent Sunday that called coach Adam Gase “incompetent.”
Parker stressed multiple times that his agent, Jimmy Gould, does not speak for him when he said, among other things, that his client is healthy and should be playing after Parker was a surprise inactive for Sunday’s 32-21 loss to the Detroit Lions. Parker also said he didn’t know that Gould would make those comments.
“I can’t control what people are saying. He’s a grown man. He says what he said,” Parker said. “I can’t control what he says. I didn’t feel that way about coach. That’s his own opinion.”
Gase said earlier Monday that Gould’s comments didn’t bother him and wouldn’t affect Parker’s playing status with the Dolphins.
“We don’t have any more receivers so I’m sure he’s going to play,” Gase said.
Gase and Parker spoke about the matter Monday morning.
“It did not make anything awkward,” Parker said of Gase. “My relationship is good with him. We talked about it. No bad feelings from one another or anything.”
The crux of the dispute between Gould and Gase related to differing interpretations of Parker’s health.
Gase said after Sunday’s game that Parker is “not completely healthy,” while Gould believes Parker has been healthy for weeks. Parker practiced fully this week despite a quadriceps injury.
“It’s something that doesn’t really bother me or really concern me,” Gase said about the agent’s comments.
Parker confirmed that he planned to continue to be represented by Gould.
Parker said he felt he could have played through the quad injury. He said he believes he’s 100-percent right now.
Trade talks have centered around Parker since training camp, but those chances diminished this week with injuries to Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills that will keep them out Thursday versus Houston and beyond.
Gould did not request a trade or his client’s release, but he did want Parker to be treated better.
“He wants me here. He wants me out there playing with my teammates helping them out,” Parker said. “Of course I want to be here. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
Parker has missed five of the Dolphins seven games this season, primarily due to a broken middle finger and the most recent quad injury.
He admitted that the injuries have been “very frustrating.” The 2015 first-round pick wants to live up to the fan’s expectations and his potential.
“They’ve seen flashes of it when I was healthy,” Parker said. “And I try to stay that way but they know what I can do.”
As for his agent, Parker wishes he would have remained quiet.
“That probably would have been best or texted him or something,” Parker said.